You have to prove it, rookies

Every NBA season brings a new wave of talent ready to reshape the league.

The preseason showcases rookies’ skills, and the regular season puts them to the test. Draft-night expectations bring predictions, and suddenly, every rookie is a future superstar.

But this assumption isn’t too far-fetched.

This year’s class is loaded with promise.

From Caleb Wilson and Cameron Boozer to Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa, this year’s rookies have already grabbed everyone’s attention. However, comparing them to last year’s rookies based only on preseason games isn’t fair.

Fans have seen Cooper Flagg and V.J. Edgecombe adapt to the NBA, but this year’s rookies have just started, and it’s undeniably easy to root for what we already know.

Flagg averaged 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game during his rookie season. Edgecombe averaged 16 points and 5.6 rebounds. Both stars stepped onto the court for the first time with high expectations, and they exceeded them. 

They lived up to the expectations, and gave fans something to believe in. For two franchises looking to rebuild, fans saw these players as a sign of hope.

With this year’s rookies, glimpses of promise are starting to shine through multiple franchises, even those that finished with lower seeds last year.

The Chicago Bulls’ Caleb Wilson, picked fourth overall, averaged 15.8 points per game across five preseason appearances. His athleticism and ability to attack the basket offer an early glimpse of his offensive potential.

Cameron Boozer, who was selected third overall by the Memphis Grizzlies, brings an all-around game that should be noticed beyond scoring. Darryn Peterson, the Utah Jazz’s second overall pick, showed glimpses of being an effective offensive scorer with a 23-point preseason game.

With their talent and versatility, these rookies are worth paying attention to.

But there is also a difference between being promising and actually becoming great.

And for Dybantsa, that wait has already gotten a little longer.

The Washington Wizards’ No. 1 overall pick suffered a mild left ankle sprain against the Pelicans and missed the regular-season opener; Dybantsa’s day-to-day status makes his regular-season debut uncertain.

There is no reason to panic. One injury doesn’t define a career, and Dybantsa still has every chance to become the player Washington expects.

It’s tempting to favor what we already know. But potential takes time to reveal itself, and one game can’t say anything directly about a player’s future. So, is this year’s class better than last year’s? I don’t know yet. Neither should anyone else.

Maybe Boozer becomes one of the league’s most versatile young forwards. Maybe Peterson turns into an elite scorer. Wilson could surprise people, and Dybantsa could eventually settle the noise around his ranking.

I would love to see all of it happen.

But right now, those are possibilities, not accomplishments.

And that’s not an insult to this year’s rookies; it is simply the reality of entering a league where potential means very little until you prove you can deliver. Every player that steps onto the court has experienced it.

A rookie class does not need four superstars to be successful. Sometimes, one player changes everything. By the end of the season, this conversation could look completely different.

For now, though, I am taking last year’s rookies.

Not because this year’s class lacks the talent, but because Flagg and Edgecombe have already shown us what they can do at the NBA level. This year’s class has the talent to challenge them, but they still have to prove they belong in the same conversation.

The next class is here, and they look promising.

Now, we just have to see who can live up to the expectations put on them.